• Organ Association - Heart, kidneys, spleen
• Planetary Association - Sun— Center of the Sun
• Specific Organ Effect Location - Sacred Heart
• Cosmic lover - Vanilla
• Geography - 20/20
• The spirit/deva - Healing properties
• Legend - The mythology surrounding cacao seems to always revolve around regaining the human heart connection to Mother Nature 

*Credit: David Wolfe ‘Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future’

per 100 grams:

456 calories

3.6 g H2O

12.0 g protein

46.3 g fat (typically 40 to 50 grams, but sometimes as low as 12 grams)

34.7 g total carbohydrate

8.6 g fiber

106 mg calcium

537 mg phosphorus

3.6 mg Fe (iron)

0.17-0.24 mg thiamine

0.14-0.41 mg riboflavin

*Credit David Wolfe Naked Chocolate

Cacao contains PEA, a chemical that we produce in our bodies when we fall in love. PEAs also play a role in increasing focus and alertness. Anandamide is an endorphin that the human body naturally produces after exercise. Anandamide is known as the bliss chemical as it is released while we are feeling joy. It has only been found in one plant - Cacao.

Originally the cacao plant comes from Central & South America. However, it can be found spread along the whole equatorial belt. It grows within about 20 degrees of latitude north and south of the equator. This is called the 20/20 zone.

Cacao loves well drained soils with a high content of organic matter and grows best in the shade of larger trees. Each cacao tree delivers a specific composition of nutrients, depending on the soil, the climate and the trees that are neighbouring cacao. 21° C is the ideal temperature with constant high humidity. Cacao prefers to grow in the shade of larger trees such as coconut, banana, and avocado, which protect it from too much sun and wind. It goes along well with avocado trees, mango trees, bananas, coconut palms, coffee, pineapple trees and durian. Permaculture and diversity is naturally encouraged by cacao. 

The main growing area of cacao, especially for large-scale chocolate production, is now Western Africa. Historically, the shift of the main growing area from the Americas to West Africa coincides with the abolition of slavery. Since the slaves could no longer be brought from Africa to America, the cacao was brought to the areas of their homeland, to continue the production of cheap cacao for Europe under forced labour conditions. Read more in Global Market.

• The (cultivated) tree grows 3-10m high, it branches very close to the ground and has dark green, avocado tree-like leaves.
• The five-petalled flower of cacao grows directly from the trunk and is pollinated by a specific, very small species of insect (so far 6 are known).
• From each fertilised flower grows a cacao fruit. The fruit is 18-20cm long and contains 20-50 almond-like seeds / beans, surrounded by a sweet pulp.
• As it begins to grow the sprout sends a tap root deep in the ground, whilst simultaneously growing upwards in stem.
• In a good environment a young tree can bear fruits within three to five years. A mature cacao tree will produce about 50 fruits, which are harvested twice a year.
• The fruits develop into red, orange, yellow, blue or purple varieties.
• The bean has a dark brown-reddish to purple colour and can bear a resemblance in its appearance to organs such as a kidney, heart or sometimes a brain. Appropriately, it is these organs that are most addressed by cacao.
• One fruit is sufficient to make 3-4 high quality dark chocolate bars.
• Cacao absorbs the flavours of the surrounding plants. Cacao connoisseurs can sense the flavours of the other plants growing in its surrounding such as vanilla, tobacco, coffee, coconut.
• A cacao tree in a natural environment can live up to 200 years, with only about 25 years bearing fruit. However, on plantations, especially in monoculture, the trees often live for no longer than seven years.
• The Cacao tree on the left side is a wild Cacao that grows in remote areas of  the Bolivian Amazon. The tree grows much taller than a cultivated tree. These trees have not seen (m)any human beings for centuries, and date back to pre-Columbian times. The wild  flavour is a clear differentiation from the other cacao species, the taste is exceptional - Wild Cacao from Bolivia in the Cacao Mama Store

• A cross between Criollo & Forastero was bred in Trinidad. Trinidario is a mixture of the two, more robust than the Criollo and more aromatic than the Forastero.
• Arriba Nacional is the most delicate species, cultivated almost exclusively in Ecuador. This cacao variety has a particularly intense aroma and is considered 'fine cacao'. 
• Since all traditional cacao varieties are relatively sensitive and need very good climatic conditions and fertile soils, there are more and more attempts to grow even more robust cacao varieties. The hybrid CNN51 was created, which, however, doesn’t contain many constituents of the noble cacao and is therefore ceremonially unusable. In addition, it requires strong fertilizers, which causes lasting damage to the earth.